Records from two of Georgia’s highest-ranking politicians of the 1990s and early 2000s are now freely available to the public, as the University of Georgia’s Russell Library for Political Research and Studies opens collections from U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson.
The collections provide insider perspectives into 21st century congressional debates, including budget and tax reform battles, the Affordable Care Act, and the Global War on Terror and the 2003-2011 Iraq War, as well as immigration issues and federal agriculture policy. In addition, the collections include campaign memorabilia, constituent correspondence, photographs, and other objects from Chambliss’s and Isakson’s life and service in state politics dating back to the 1970s.
With overlapping political goals and terms, as well as a strong personal friendship, the senators worked in partnership in Washington, and Chambliss said he was honored to open his collection alongside those of Isakson, who passed away in 2021.
“Johnny and I met at the University of Georgia and began a friendship that lasted 60 years, including 16 years serving together in Congress,” Chambliss said. “I am pleased that students and future generations will have the opportunity to study the work we did on behalf of our state and our country.”
The Saxby Chambliss Papers and the John Hardy (Johnny) Isakson Papers are two of the most significant contributions to the Russell Library to document the contributions of Georgians to the U.S. Congress in the 21st century. The archive was founded in 1974 to provide public access to the political papers of U.S. Sen. Richard B. Russell, a former governor who served in the U.S. Senate for nearly 40 years. Since then, the library has grown to include more than 600 manuscript collections and 2,000 oral history interviews documenting the role of Georgia and Georgians in American politics from 1900 to the present.
“Senators Chambliss and Isakson dedicated their lives to public service during an incredibly transformative period in the history of our state and nation,” said Ashton Ellett, director of the Russell Library, one of three special collections units at the UGA Libraries. “Their papers will provide incredible insights to anyone seeking to understand modern politics and public policy.”
In addition to legislative, press, and speech files, both collections contain a substantial volume of constituent correspondence that reflect public opinion on cultural flashpoints such as marriage equality, abortion access and gun control. The papers also capture the day-to-day service of the senators’ staffs on behalf of Georgians.
Chambliss, a native of Warrenton, North Carolina, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in 1966 and a law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1968. He practiced law in Moultrie, Georgia, prior to winning election to the U.S. House in 1994, representing Georgia’s 8th congressional district before his election to the U.S. Senate, where he served from 2003 to 2015. Chambliss served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, chairing the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. He also chaired the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry during the 109th Congress and served as vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. In these roles, Chambliss earned a reputation as a bipartisan dealmaker on issues of agriculture, energy, immigration and national defense.
“During my years in Congress, we faced many important issues. We witnessed the tragic events of September 11th and undertook critical work to safeguard our country,” said Chambliss. “Researchers will now be able to study the development and implementation of four Farm Bills; our efforts navigating two rounds of Base Realignment and Closure; our work strengthening national security and cyber operations at Fort Gordon—now home to the U.S. Army Cyber Command and the training center for all Army Signal Corps soldiers—as well as the bipartisan work with Senator Mark Warner of Virginia and the Gang of Six on deficit reduction.”
An Atlanta native, Isakson remains the only Georgian ever elected to the state House, state Senate, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. After his graduation from UGA, he opened the Cobb County branch of Northside Realty in 1968 while serving in the Georgia Air National Guard. Isakson served seven terms in the Georgia House of Representatives, including eight years as minority leader. After an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 1990, Isakson won a seat in the state Senate in 1992 where he served until 1996. After a stint as chair of the State Board of Education, Isakson won a 1999 special election to represent Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. During his U.S. Senate tenure, from 2004 to 2019, Isakson became the first senator to chair two committees simultaneously—the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Select Committee on Ethics. He also sat on the influential Finance, Foreign Relations, and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committees. A widely respected consensus-builder, he championed legislation expanding services for veterans, reforming education, and supporting the Peace Corps.
“Johnny always viewed public service as a high and noble calling, and it was reflected in how hard he worked to get real results—not just headlines—on the tough issues of the day, whether it was tax reform or helping our nation’s veterans or traveling to Africa to seek justice for a Georgia Peace Corps volunteer who was tragically murdered,” said Chris Carr, attorney general of Georgia and former chief of staff in Isakson’s Senate office.
Joan Kirchner Carr, who also served as Isakson’s chief of staff, added, “It is truly a great day that students, historians and visitors now can get a glimpse into the leadership and dedication of Johnny Isakson and see a public servant who was beloved by his constituents, by his fellow senators, and by most everyone who crossed his path.”
Processing of the Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson papers was made possible with generous financial support from the Richard B. Russell Foundation, Inc. and the Seda Vale Foundation, Inc.